Ditching and tile machine.



- L. c. Looms. DITGHING AND TILE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.16, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Y Q v N nw wit" use:

L. 0. Looms. DITCHING AND TILE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1908 Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Vi (in one L. G. LOOMIS.

' DITGHING AND TILE MACHINE.

21.10.11.101; nun 131:0. 1a, 1998.

946,609,- v PatentedJa'n. 18,1910.

avwentoz .5074 glad/7a).

LOIEA O. LOOHIS, 0F KEOBAUQUA, IOWA.

AND TILE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1910.

Application filed December 16, 1908. Serial No. 487,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOIRA C. LooMIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Keosauqua, in the county of Van Buren and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Dltching and Tile Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ditching machines and more particularly to a machine especially designed for digging ditches or therein.

A further object is to provide means for adjusting the elevator frame, thereby to regulate the depth of the trench or ditc A further object is to provide im roved means for drawing the truck over t e surface of the ground during the ditching or excavating o eration.

A still urther object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification :Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tile ditching machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, the conveyer being shown in section. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the excavator buckets detached from the endless chain. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the driving shaft detached showing the sprocket Wheels in position thereon.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved tile ditching machine forming the subject matter of the present invention includes a truck having lon 'tudinal side rails 5 connected by transverse ont and rear axles 6 and 7 and upon which are journaled traction wheels 8. The base or bed of the truck is reinforced and strengthened by the provision of spaced intermediate longitudinal sills 9 to which are secured one or more uprights or standards 10, and secured to these standards 10 is an upper frame consist ing 'of spaced longitudinal bars 11. The rear ends of the bars 11 are extended longitudinally beyond the adjacent standards 10 to form supports for bearings 12 in which is journaled a main operating shaft 13.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 13 between the longitudinal bars 11 are a plurality of sprocket wheels 14 and 15 prefer ably arranged in pairs the sprocket wheels 15 being adapted to engage the sprocket chains 16 of an endless conveyer, indicated as a whole at 17. The upper portions of the sprocket chains 16 engage the sprocket wheels 15, while the lower portions thereof engage similar sprocket wheels 18 journaled in a pivoted frame 19.

The frame 19 is pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the shaft 13 and is preferabl formed-in two sections 20 and 21 detachab y united by bolts or similar fastening devices 22 so that the frame 19 may be lengthened or shortened, as desired. Each section of the frame 19 comprises two longitudinally disposed bars having their outer ends bent inwardly and provided with a bearin 23 for the reception of the shaft of the ad jacent sprocket wheels 18, the bars of each set being spaced apart and connected by transverse ins 24: upon which are mounted anti-frictlon rollers 25. The up or section 21 of the swinging frame is pre erably wider than the lower frame 20 so that the side bars of said upper frame may be interposed between the sprocket wheels 14 and the adjacent longitudinal bars 11, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the fixed ends of the lower section 20 being off set at 26 to permit the inner ends of said bars to be secured to the bars of the upper section by the fastening devices 22.

Riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the chains 16 are a plurality of excavator buckets. 27 each provided with a cutting edge 28 adapted to enter the ground and remove a portion of the earth when the conveyer is rotated. The side walls of the buckets 27 are preferably tapered so as to present a broad cutting edge to the ground, the front wall of each bucket being curved or rounded so as not to offer any material obstruction to the passage of the bucket through the earth.

The shaft 13 extends laterally beyond the longitudinal bars 11 of the upper frame and keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to one of the extended ends of said shaft is a sprocket wheel 29 which engages a sprocket chain 30, the latter also engaging a-sprocket wheel 31 mounted on a transverse shaft 32 at the forward end of the machine. The shaft 32 is journaled in suitable bearings; 33 on the upper supporting frame and is provided with a belt pulley 34 connected through the medium of a belt 35 with an engine or other suitable source of power, indicated at 36, whereby motion may be transmitted from the shaft 32 through the medium of the sprocket'chain 31 to the main driving shaft 13, thereby to actuate the excavator buckets.

Connecting the rear standards 10 and the bars 11 of the upper frame are segmental lates 37 having their inner faces provided with teeth for engagement with pinions 38. The pinions 38 are mounted on a stub shaft 39 carried by the frame 19, one end of said shaft being provided with a hand wheel 40 by means of which the pinion may be rotated so as to adjust the angle or inclination of the frame 19 and thereby vary the depth of the ditch or trench.

If desired, a series of teeth 41 may be formed on the intermediate bars 9 of the truck for engagement with a transverse locking bar 42 so that the frame 19 after being swung laterally to adjusted position may be supported against accidental movement during the excavating or digging operation. Any other suitable locking means, however, may be'provided for supporting the frame 19 in adjusted position and in some cases said locking means may be entirely dispensed with.

Secured to and extending laterally from the rear standards 10 is a horizontally disposed frame 43 having one or more drums 44 journaled therein and which serve to receive and support an endless belt or conveyer 45, this belt being disposed beneaththe shaft 13 and adapted to receive the earth elevated in the buckets and deposit the same in the ditch after the tiles 45 have been positioned therein. Secured to the end of the main operating shaft 13 opposite the sprocket wheel 29 is a sprocket wheel 46 which engages a sprocket chain 47 leading to a similar sprocket wheel 48 carried by the convey er frame 45 so that when motion is transmitted from the engine to the main driving shaft, motion will also be transmitted through the sprocket chain 47 to the endless belt or conveyer.

As a means for drawing the machine over the surface of the ground during the digging or excavating operation, there is provided a verticall disposed drum or windlass 4!) mounted for-rotation on the forward end of the truck and having its upper end provided with a beveled gear wheel 50 which meshes with a correspondingly beveled pinion 51 carried by the stub shaft 52. The stub shaft 52 is journaled in suitable bearings 53 and is connected with a sprocket wheel 54 on the shaft 32 by means of a sprocket chain 55, which latter also engages a sprocket wheel 56 loosely mounted on the shaft 52 at the rear of the pinion 51. A lever 57 extends laterally from the shaft 52 for enga ement with a suitable clutch member so that by operating said lever said clutch member will be forced into engagement with a corresponding clutch member on the sprocket wheel 56 and thus transmit motion from the motor to the Windlass to rotate the same.

Fastened in an eye 58 on the forward end of the truck is a rope, cable or other flexible medium 59 the intermediate portion of which passes over a pulley 60 carried by a post or stake 61, while the opposite end thereof is secured in any suitable manner to the Windlass or drum 49 so that when said drum or Windlass is rotated the rope 59 will 9 be Wound upon the drum and thus exert a longitudinal pull on the forward end'of the truck so as to move the latter with the desired degree of rapidity over the surface of the ground duringthe excavating operation.

The operation of the device is as follows :The truck is moved to the place where it is desired to form a ditch and the stake 61 driven into the ground at a predetermined distance from the forward end of the truck, after which the rope or cable 59 is fastened to the eye 58 and the opposite end thereof extended through the pulley 60 for attachment to the Windlass 49. The swinging frame 19 is then adjusted to the desired angle or inclination by operating the hand wheel 40 and said frame locked in adj usted position by means of the bar 42. The engine 36 is then started and motion transmitted from the shaft 32 to the shaft 13 to rotate the chain of excavator buckets, which latter elevate the earth and discharge the same on the belt 45 of the conveyer 43. As the ditch 62 is formed an attendant places the pipes or drains 45 on the bottom thereof preferably in over-lapped relation, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the earth elevated by the buckets and discharged on the belt 45 being subsequently deposited in the ditch over the tiles so as to fill said ditch and thus house and protect the tiles. As the ditch is formed the machine is gradually drawn ahead by manipulating the lever 57 which connects the Windlass with ed on the main driving shaft 13, conveyer belts having buckets of different widths may be used in connection with the machine so as to permit the formation of ditches of different widths, while by means of the shaft 38 and wheel 40, the conveyer frame may be adjusted to regulate the depth of the ditch.

In some cases, where a relatively narrow ditch is to be formed it has been found desirable to employ a conveyer having a single sprocket chain and for this purpose a single sprocket wheel 7 O is interposed between the sprocket wheels 15 and a similar sprocket wheel on the lower section 20 of the elevator frame. Thus it will be seen that the width of the ditch may lee adjusted by merely removing the lower section 20 of the conveyer frame and substituting a narrower section, the upper section 21 being always of the same width. It will also be noted that the rollers 25 i not only serve to sustain the weight of the excavator buckets as the latter travel on the frame but also serve to reinforce'and strengthen the frame as well as to reducefriction between the several parts to a minimum.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the-device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

l. A machine of the class described including a truck, a stationary frame carried by the truck, a movable frame mounted for swinging movement in the stationary frame,

a plurality of excavator buckets mounted for cluding a wheeled truck, a frame rigidly mounted on said truck, a main operating 'shaft having a'plurality of sets of sprocket wheels secured thereto, a swinging frame pivotally mounted on said shaft and formed of detachabl united sections, sprocket wheels carrie by the lower section, sprocket chains engaging the sprocket wheelson the upper and lower sections, a plurality of excavator buckets carried by the sprocket chain, a conveyer adapted to receive the material from the buckets and deposit the same inthe ditch at the rear of the machine, a

toothed rack secured to the rigid frame, a shaft carried by the swinging frame and having a pinion fixed thereon and adapted to enga e the teeth on the rack for adjusting sai swinging frame laterally, a motor, and means for transmitting motion from the motor to the excavator buckets and conveyer, respectively.

3. A- machine of the class described including a truck, a swingingframe pivotally mounted on the truck and formed of a plurality of sections detachably united each section being formed of spaced bars having their outer ends converged and their inner ends over-lapped, rollers mounted for rotation between the bars of both sections, an endless conveyer bearing against said rollers and provided with a plurality'of' excavator buckets, a conveyer arranged to receive the material from the excavator buckets, a motor, means for transmitting motion from the motor to the excavator buckets, and means for transmitting motion from said buckets to the-conveyer.

4.-A machine of the class described including a truck, a frame pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the truck and formed of a plurality of sections detachably united, rollers carried by said sections, 'a conveyer mounted for rotation on the pivoted frame and provided with excavator buckets having tapered side walls and provided with rounded forward portions terminating in cutting edges, a motor, means for transmitting motion from the motor to the conveyer buckets, an endless conveyer arranged to receive the material from the buckets and deposit the same at the rear of the machine, and means for transmitting motion from the excavator buckets to the conveyer.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

1 LOIRA C. LOOMIS.

Witnesses:

B. J. S'roNo, B. J. TRUAX. 

